Rank 1 Gu Masters couldn't do much for the clan aside from working with logistics and some other menial tasks, even support Gu Masters were usually Rank 2 and above.
Basically, no one with political clout had any use for the Liquor Worm, except maybe to give it to their children to help with their cultivation.
But, that was not good enough of a reason to take it from Fang Yuan.
The academy elder felt it would be better used with Fang Zheng- as it was, that would mean he would have an effective 160% aptitude. His progress would truly be something to marvel at- he could get to Rank 2 within six months with that kind of help!
However, Fang Yuan deserved this reward, he couldn't deny that. And as it was, it wasn't like the Liquor Worm was a consumable gu worm. Once used, it could be passed to others within the village to help with their cultivation.
And with that, the three of them left the cave after disposing of the Flower Wine Monk's remains.
The next day, early in the morning at the academy, the students were all lined up along with some other Gu Masters for some announcement that was going on.
A wooden stage had been set up, and there was chatter among the students about what this was about.
Fang Zheng, for his part, was thinking of other things. Like how he was very close to refining his Moonlight Gu. Or how Shen Cui had promised to show him something new that night involving her mouth.
These thoughts were interrupted as Fang Zheng saw someone on stage that he hadn't expected- his elder brother!
Alongside him was the clan head.
Mo Bei and Chi Chen both had astonished looks as they saw not only their parents, and several other elders walk onto the stage, but the clan head as well.
With the clan head walking in, all noise immediately ceased.
"Good morning everyone, you all must be wondered why we're gathered here," he began. "Well, we are here to acknowledge the efforts of one of our fellow clansmen, Gu Yue Fang Yuan!"
Fang Yuan stepped forward to center-stage.
'Huh? What's going on?' Fang Zheng's mind was whirring uncontrollably now, all earlier thoughts now completely gone.
"Gu Yue Fang Yuan, two days ago, managed to find something from our great clan's history," the clan head continued.
He then gave a short description of what had gone down between the Flower Wine Monk and the fourth generation clan head. Everyone pretty much knew this story already and some people had even begun to zone out.
"A mystery had always remained, as to where the remains of the Flower Wine Monk were. However, this is no longer a mystery," the clan head continued. "Because Gu Yue Fang Yuan, two days ago, managed to find the remains of the Flower Wine Monk and was able to even capture one of his gu worms, a Liquor Worm."
There was commotion from the crowd.
"Once he found this, like a loyal clan member, he immediately brought it to my attention," the clan head said. "We would like everyone to give him a round of applause- as the paragon of a virtuous Gu Yue clansmen!"
At his urging, people began clapping. Quite a bit of it was genuine- some of the Gu Masters didn't know the full details on who Gu Yue Fang Yuan was, but they were quite intrigued by the story.
Fang Zheng, however, felt like his hands had turned to stone as he began clapping, if only to keep up appearances.
Here he was, just barely being able to spread his wings, and now, his brother's shadow had grown, throwing his own reputation into the darkness again.
Bitter feelings began emerging within his heart. He hadn't forgotten the feeling of the slap his brother had given him, and the words he had hurled at Fang Zheng.
Was life always going to be like this?
Right now, all he was was an A-grade talent, a potential hero of the clan. Yet, even when his brother had a weaker talent than he did, he was hogging all the spotlight for himself.
All around him, Fang Zheng could hear the excited whispers of his classmates.
"Whoa- his luck is out of this world? How do you think he found it?"
"Who cares? Do you think he managed to get some interesting loot from it?"
Mo Bei and Chi Chen were also dumbstruck for another reason, which was regarding what the clan head said next.
"As a reward, the clan will be giving him 500 primeval stones, and will also be allowing him to keep the Liquor Worm he found among the Flower Wine Monk's remains," the clan head said.
This was bad news to the two of them!
Before, they had thought that Fang Zheng was their only real opponent.
While Fang Yuan did have B-grade talent as well (as far as they knew), he did not have access to the resources that the two of them did. As such, the two of them could easily outperform him.
But with the Liquor Worm in his hands, this equation was now thrown out of balance. Depending on how good his aptitude was, Fang Yuan now had the equivalent of 140% to 160% aptitude in their eyes- how could they compete against that?
Despondent thoughts circled around their heads like vultures as someone handed Fang Yuan a bag containing his reward.
Fang Yuan for his part, played the perfect clan member, saying a few polite words before withdrawing as the clan head said a few more words about the tragedy of the Flower Wine Monk and the importance of clan ties.
Inwardly, Fang Yuan could not care less about all of the gazes fixed upon him or the attention he was getting.
What were these people to him? Why would he care for their adoration or admiration?
In his previous life, forget about Rank 6, when he had been Rank 5 he could've slaughtered them all without much trouble along with the other two villages on this mountain. Come to think of it, as a Blood Path Gu Immortal, the slaughter of so many of his blood relatives would've been quite helpful for him- it was too bad that the village was doomed for destruction in a few years and he did not have access to them when he had started cultivating Blood Path.
Honor, fame, infamy, reputation- there were all concepts only useful in the context of societal structures like this.
This was place was but a small puddle compared to the vast ocean of the world, and very soon, it would not matter to him at all.
For him, a true demon at heart, it was only benefits that mattered.